This autobiographical essay will define my experience as a Dominican immigrant living in New York City. Being an American citizen with a Dominican background are extremely relevant to the process of political socialization. My family background is founded on the principles of democratic values, which taught to me by my mother and father. In New York City, I found a “melting pot” of different immigrants that allowed me to feel more accepted as a Dominican living in the United States. More so, these aspects of the socialization process provided a foundation for my belief in democratic values throughout my life. My experiences as an immigrant have certainly been difficult in some cases of racism, but I have generally been accepted as an American …show more content…
I remember walking down a street and suddenly hearing a person yell a racial slur in my direction. I couldn’t really see his face because he had just walked into a subway entrance. I was shocked, since I had never experienced a direct racial insult. Certainly, I know that that white people had directly attacked some of my friends, but this was a very unpleasant encounter. On the other hand, I have many white friends that see me as a human being, and not a “person of color.” This is the reality of the American melting pot, which I have experienced with very positive results. Not only did my family teach me racial tolerance as an American, but many people have also treated me with respect from differing racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is the politicization of my identity as an American, which has taught me the social values of tolerance in American society. More so, New York City is a very diverse place in which the immigrant can blend with other people fare more easily than in rural areas. In my early thirties, I continue to experience a much better life in the U.S. than I would have experienced living in the Dominican Republic. I take great pride in my Dominican heritage, but I have been “democratized” by having lived in America for the majority of my